Sunday, 7 January 2018

The Airman's Gazetteer: Sultanate of Taramate

Lying across the Mammut Sea south of the 'core' nations of Darmonica is the ancient kingdom known as the Sultanate of Taramate. It is said to be older than the Kingdom of Tyland, though much about the Sultanate is veiled in secrecy. Outsiders are generally restricted to a handful of ports on the Mammut Sea coast, though permission had grudgingly been given for a small number of expeditions to the interior over the years. Recently relations have been struck with the Artian Confederation and a small but growing Artian military presence has been established.

Sultanate of TaramateDue to the restrictions on dealing with outsiders not a great deal is known about the Sultanate. There is presumably a ruler, though their gender and name has yet to be revealed to non-Taramates. Its military was believed to have been made up of an elite 'Royal Guards' unit and a number of regional militia forces, though this is in the process of being completely reorganised by the Artians. Though even the Artians admit their dealings with the Sultnate governing body has been via court scribes who refer to their ruler as 'Their Serenity'.What is known is that, aside from the coastal strip, the Sultanate is a vast desert country that stretches to a loose border region known as the 'Southern Wastes'. It is unknown what lies this far south, though it is believed that there are a number of Ancient Terran ruins including what many presume to have been a fairly important city. It is not known whether the Taramates have tried venturing south. There are a handful of Ancient Terran ruins within the Sultanate itself, these have been the sought after goals of a number of expeditions over the years. It seems the Artians may have gained greater access to these ruins.The Taramate people themselves are mainly clustered in the coastal strip area where there is water and relatively fertile ground for growing crops. The rest reside in scattered desert villages or are nomads that roam the width and breath of the Sultanate. A fair number reside in the Commonwealth colony of Orduesh, wedged between the Sultante and Union of Sodkan Republics, though these are as tight-lipped as their neighbouring cousins. The Pamdinians have had the greatest contact with the Taramates, they regularly trade with one another across the Mammut Sea but the Pamdinians only know little more than everyone else. It appears that the Taramates worship some sort of deity, though as with everything else in their country they have refused to share any info with outsiders. Indeed, many outsiders have reported being barred from entering Taramate temples and even being subjected to a curfew on occasions.Though normally restricted to the ports on the coast, a few outsiders have managed to sneak into the desert land to the south. They have confirmed the presence of a few Ancient Terran ruins, as well as some newer ruins that may be from the early days of the Sultanate's existence. It is not known how or why these ruins came to be and Taramates seem to steer well clear of them, citing that 'some darkness' now lays claim to them. The few outsiders who have made it this far also report being dogged by the Nobetciler (roughly translates as the Sentinels), the supposed elite bodyguard of the Sultanate's mysterious ruler. The Nobetciler reportedly pursued persons who have visited the desert beyond the Sultanate and warned them not to return, though the Nobetciler are said to be responsible for the outsiders who turn up dead.